Police charged a man on Monday in connection with the killing of one man and the seriously wounding of a second at the Newcastle apartments on August 25.
According to an affidavit of arrest, Jontae Duckett, 19, who lives in the apartment complex on Roper Street, was charged with 1st. Degree Murder and Especially Aggravated Robbery. He is being held at the Hamilton County Jail under a $1 million bond and is due to appear in East Ridge Municipal Court on October 21.
According to East Ridge Police Chief Clint Uselton, Duckett was arrested by law enforcement authorities in Knoxville in previous days, then returned to East Ridge.
Police continue to look for a second suspect, Jason Brown, who may have lived in the complex.
According to an affidavit of complaint, Duckett and Brown had gone to the apartment complex just after 3 p.m. on August 25 to take part in a drug deal. A witness reported to investigators that multiple gunshots rang out and saw two black males run from the scene carrying a backpack. They entered a black car associated with Brown and fled.
According to the affidavit, investigators spoke with a person who told them he was there to meet with Brown, who he had previously worked with at an area eatery, to carry out a drug transaction involving the sale of 1.5 pounds of marijuana. The deal went south and the witness told investigators Brown pulled a pistol and discharged it three or four times.
According to the witness, Duckett drew a pistol with an extended magazine and started shooting. The victim, who was not identified, drew a pistol from his waistband but did not get a shot off.
The getaway car, a black Kia, was captured on video in which investigators were able to get a license plate number. The vehicle was registered to Jason Brown and another person.
According to the affidavit, Brown and Duckett planned the drug transaction with another person (whose name was redacted from the document) intending to rob them at gunpoint.
East Ridge News Online will update this story when more information is available.
